“Many cities and towns have received such requests after the Supreme Court ruled in Shurtleff v. City of Boston, 142 S. Ct. 1583 (2022), that the City of Boston violated the First Amendment by refusing to allow a religious organization to raise a religious flag in City Hall Plaza.” 



A request for a full traffic signal and a request for an RRFB had been previously denied because the intersection does not meet the required warrants. A recent site visit showed that the trees on the north side of Trapelo Road (east of the driveway) block motorists’ view. The speed limit in this area is 35 mph. At 35 mph, a safe sight distance for a vehicle to enter the roadway from the stop sign is 390 feet. The sight distance to the top of the hill is approximately 360 feet, however, due to the trees, the distance is reduced to 185 feet. The trees should be cut back to improve the sight distance. Prior to a vote being taken, Mayor McCarthy requested a site visit to be attended by traffic commission members. Voted to table and have a site visit before the next Traffic Commission meeting.

---

Banbury Avenue Parking Regulations. Upon review, The Traffic Engineer agreed there is a problem with vehicles parking on both sides of the street, opposite each other. The street is 30 feet wide, which leaves approximately 16 feet for vehicles to pass, when there are cars parked on both sides of the street, which is tight. Considering that cars turn onto Banbury Ave at higher rates of speed from driving on Trapelo Rd, the safety concern increases. Voted to prohibit parking on the east side of Banbury Avenue within 140 feet of Trapelo Road. In Schedule 1 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping Restrictions) of the Traffic Rules & Regulations, ADD: Banbury Ave, east side, from 140 feet north of Trapelo Rd to Trapelo Rd, No Parking






September 1, 2024: FYI Ward 3. The MWRA project is coming to Lexington and Trapelo next week.

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Notification

Construction activities for the week of September 2, 2024:

• This week, crews focused on sidewalk restoration work between the YMCA entrance and Jack’s Way.

• Next week, in recognition of the Labor Day holiday, crews will not be on site on Monday, September 2, 2024, and will return on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, with potential for work later each day or on Friday.

o When crews are on site, which are scheduled from 7:00AM to 5:00PM, there may potentially be slight delays while alternating traffic traverses through the construction areas.

• Crews will continue working on the 36” water main pipeline north of the YMCA entrance and at Lake Street.

o Additionally, crews will work on the municipality’s 8” town water and sewer lines and conduct test pits and drilling near the Lexington Street / Trapelo Road intersection.


August 29, 2024: Couple quick things. First, the new WHS is open for business. Today was the first day the entire student body attended. So far, so good. Second, we are one step closer to the City of Cambridge's acquisition of the land that was to be used for a solar farm abutting Ward 3. MassDEP approved the land to be used for watershed protection. This protects over 1000 trees, protects wildlife and also keeps 33+ acres in place as wooded space. Not to mention protecting the property of many Ward 3 homeowners. Up next is formal voting by the Cambridge CPA and City Council to finalize the land sale. This is expected in September. 

July 29, 2024: Notifications went out to residents on Temple and Greer. Street paving and sidewalk work will begin on these streets on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

July 15, 2024: This August the full length of Greer Street and the public portion of Temple Road will be paved.

July 12, 2024: The police, wires and engineering departments are continuing to make improvements in the area of the Trapelo Road Beaver Street culvert project, as is the mayor's office. The timing of the lights at Linden and Main were modified and the Belmont and Waltham Police are in constant communication. The city's IT team will continue to make updates as well. We have heard from some pedestrians who frequently walk that area and the improvements are making a positive difference. Thank you to everyone working to mitigate the impacts and to everyone for their patience.

July 8, 2024: Please see this updated map from our engineering department. This is for pedestrian detours for the Beaver Brook Culvert project at the end of Trapelo Rd at the Belmont line. 

July 1, 2024: Attention Ward 3 and Waltham residents. Especially those in the Glen Meadow East and Waverley Oaks neighborhoods. The Beaver Brook culvert project on the Waltham/Belmont line starts Monday, July 8th. This will have a significant impact on Ward 3 roads. Traffic traveling eastbound on Trapelo Rd towards Belmont will detour south on Waverley Oaks Rd. The eastbound lane on Trapelo will be closed from Waverley Oaks Rd to the Belmont line. Traffic traveling westbound on Trapelo Rd from Belmont will continue west into Waltham. There are message board signs in the area and the city's IT and social media staff will post frequent updates to the city's website and to the city's social media accounts. The map below shows the traffic patterns for reference. Also coming soon is the MWRA water main project traveling north on Lexington St. That will soon hit the intersection of Lexington and Trapelo and continue to the Lexington line. 

June 20, 2024: Signs have gone up in on Trapelo Rd near the Belmont line. This project is the construction for the Beaver Brook culvert and will be starting soon. There will be detours and traffic disruptions. I plan to keep this site and social media updated with project updates, potential detours and other information.

June 5-9, 2024: The Waltham Lions Club comes back to Ward 3! Fiesta Shows will be at 1601 Trapelo Road/Boston Properties. You can buy tickets in advance HERE.

June 2, 2024: Waltham High Graduation. Kennedy Middle School, 12-3pm. 

June 1, 2o24: This Saturday at Veterans Field on Forest Street! A Special Day in Waltham. C'mon by and cheer on the athletes. I'll be leading a team and we start at 10am sharp. Waltham Lions are doing the cooking and it looks like perfect weather. And Sunday is WHS graduation at 12 at Kennedy. Big weekend!

May 28, 2024: Lots of Waltham High School events this week. Senior prom 5/28, Scholarship and Awards Night 5/30, Waltham High graduation 6/2 at Kennedy Middle School 12-3pm.

May 21, 2024: The engineering department has contacted the Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project to clear out the stream channel and do some work behind Hillcroft Playground. 

May 16, 2024: Update from Waltham Citizens for Safe Solar:


Dear Waltham Neighbors for Safe Solar (WNFSS),                                      May  2024

 

We want to keep you connected, updated and share some good news!!   In our March update we provided a chronological update of legal activities between May 2023 through February 2024. This is what has happened since February:

1). The discovery deadlines have been extended twice, most recently on May 1st, extending the general discovery deadline to June 30th, and the expert witness disclosure deadline to May 31st.  So, at that point in time we assumed nothing significant would be decided until after June 30th.

 2). Our lawyers have sent out a document subpoena to Beals and Thomas, the developer’s engineering firm, and noticed the depositions of Beals and Thomas and the development entities. The developer has noticed the depositions of the four abutter plaintiffs for late May.

 3). The appeal by Waltham is underway and all records were sent to the clerk of Appeals Court.

 4). The Good News:  On May 7th Cambridge and Tracer Lane requested a Joint Motion To Stay Litigation.  The request has been made to stay the proceedings for 90 days.  They have requested this stay because the City of Cambridge and Tracer Lane have reached an agreement in principle under the terms of which Tracer Lane will sell the Lexington Property to Cambridge for watershed protection and open space use.  This means if the motion is approved the case is on hold until the parties get all the necessary approvals associated with the sale.  If all those approvals are not obtained for whatever reason, we would have to go back into litigation mode. The information can be found on the Land Court website.  As a general rule given the sensitive nature of litigation, there is unfortunately a limit as to how much information can be shared.

 

       Regarding the city of Waltham’s actions, we are frequently asked why the city isn’t doing more.  The reality is the city is doing everything it can at this point in time.  If you consider the fact Waltham has moved on to Appeals Court, that is actually a good sign.  The Waltham case is now in Massachusetts Appellate Court and you can look for “CITY OF WALTHAM vs. CHARLES HONIG & others 2024-P-0437 TC number ”.  The TC number is 2381CV01737 and briefs are due by 5/28/2024. However, given the Joint Motion to Stay Litigation in Land Court, Waltham has also requested a stay in Appellate Court.  These actions demonstrate Waltham is engaged and staying in the fight. Other indications of Waltham support are Bill Hanley, the city councilor for Ward 3, recently toured the entire proposed site and the plans currently on file.  Bill has been engaged from the start, but his support and involvement in opposing this solar project continues and has not diminished regardless of new responsibilities and his busy schedule.  Another very positive event recently was by our neighbor Jim McElroy.  Jim is a long-term city resident and businessman in Waltham.  After getting a personal tour and update on what this project will bring in the way of disruption and risk, Jim made a significant donation to the legal fund and has  thrown his personal support behind our communication efforts.

 

Can you help us plan possible next steps; in case the land sale does not go through?   We were considering a lawn sign drive opposing this Tracer Lane Solar Project.  As an example, you  may have seen some lawn signs opposing Private Jet expansion at Hanscom airport. Once again, we want to re-enforce we all understand the need for sustainable energy!  But there are hazards with this particular plan which are potentially dangerous to our neighborhood, our property values, and even our health, if installed. The proposed signs would articulate these statements and they would not be confrontational.  So, can you give us your advice on whether, if needed, we should proceed in this direction and would you put a sign on your lawn showing your opposition, again, if needed?  We would provide the signs at no cost to you and the payment for the signs would be coming from separate donations specifically for signage  – not taken from any of the legal defense donations.

Give us your opinion at our email:    WalthamNeighborsForSafeSolar@gmail.com.

 

Please visit our website which has valuable information and modifications made for easier topic searches:   https://walthamneighborsforsafesolar.org

Suggested reading material:  If you access the Lexington Observer Home-page, look for an article titled “Town Meeting approves new protections for Lexington’s trees”.  This is a bit ironic!  After the Lexington Planning Board approved this controversial Tracer Lane Solar Project projected to clear 1,040 trees and all the bad things associated with that, the town now seems to realize the Tree Committee isn’t being taken seriously.  Also, the Lexington Planning board basically made things easy for this developer by granting a waiver of even inventorying the trees to be removed and potential mitigation. We would encourage you to read this article and comments.  If motivated you should also comment.  In the words of some famous person  “you just can’t make this stuff up”. 

The article can be found at:

   https://lexobserver.org/2024/04/12/town-meeting-approves-new-protections-for-lexingtons-trees/

SUMMARY OF EVENTS: All attorneys had been focused on depositions, interrogatories and expert depositions until the “Joint Motion To Stay Litigation” was filed on May 7th.  So, now work continues in the background, but reduced accordingly.  Our legal folks have worked hard to meet pre-set deadlines and create pertinent documentation.  As you might expect, this has been and still is an expensive period in this legal journey.  Given that, and in spite of the Motion To Stay Litigation, we need to continue our drive for donations to support our case because the settlement has not yet been finalized and there is still some legal work to do to make sure this gets completely tied off, and the other parties do what they say they’re going to do.  Our recent donation drives have generated some new donors along with several repeat donors.  Some significant repeat donors have made comments like  “I'm just trying to do my part”, or another “ I am committed to this cause, as you are as well, and financial support is critical to our eventual success”.  If you have not contributed in the past, we urge you to consider adding your support.  If you have contributed getting us to this point, we are forever grateful.  Your contribution, whether large or small, has made an impact . Remember, some of the goals of this litigation are to stop the destruction of 1,040 trees, protect wildlife in their natural habitat and protect a drinking water reservoir, plus reduce risk exposure. If those goals can be satisfied by the sale of the property that is outstanding. We are making a difference!

WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP AND YOUR DONATION

(Note, regrettably, your contribution is NOT tax-deductible. However, 100% of it goes directly to pay the legal bills to support the neighbors’ efforts to have our voices heard.)

 

Waltham Neighbors for Safe Solar includes a group of concerned citizens, but needs more folks to get involved and needs financial help. Financial help to this point has come mainly from a small group and repeat donors. Regardless of The Motion To Stay Litigation  and potential land sale, we still need to pay our legal offense for work completed and future work as needed supporting our interest and/or  the potential sale finalization. Any donation you could make will be put to good use and appreciated. Please tell others and pass this information on, as well as access our provided links to understand the potential risks to our neighborhood. To donate please write a check payable to Hill Law with “Lexington Solar'' in the memo line. Include your email and/or cellphone number and you will get confirmation to know your check got to us. 100% of funds collected goes directly to pay the legal bills, Mail your check to our check collection volunteer: 

 

WNFSS ℅ Nina Moss

104 Sherbourne Place

Waltham, MA 02451

 

If you wish to contact us, need information, want a tour of the site or a review of plans or possibly just a general discussion of the project, please contact us at our email address WalthamNeighborsForSafeSolar@gmail.com

-------------------------

May 14, 2024: Paving of Lexington Street has started. Traffic patterns will be impacted, so please plan accordingly, especially when going to/from WHS or Kennedy.

May 8, 2024 - Significant news to share regarding the 1-megawatt solar farm in Lexington. This parcel and land is adjacent to several Ward 3 streets and homes (Wimbledon, Sherbourne, Candlewood, Midland, Crestview, Goldencrest). The developer has agreed to sell the land to the City of Cambridge for watershed protection and open space. There are still bureaucratic hoops to jump through, but this was one of our best-case scenarios. If this is completed, this means the land will remain open space, 1000+ trees will not be removed and there will be no disruption to Waltham residents. 

May 7, 2024: Waltham Channel/WCAC news article regarding vandalism of construction equipment and police enforcement of trespassing at the site of the universal playground. Click HERE. 

___________________________________________________________________________

April 18, 2024: The traffic commission approved my request to remove the 'No Turn on Red' sign at Smith and Trapelo. This will allow vehicles traveling north on Smith St to take a right/east on Trapelo and help alleviate backups. At times, traffic backs up all the way to Wyman Street.

April 6, 2024: Had the pleasure to tour the new WHS today with the city council, school committee and some current WHS teachers. What a school. It’s better than I imagined. To dispel two rumors, there is more parking at the new school. They counted the spaces at the current high school, including the “illegal” spots. And the new gym is bigger than the current WHS gym. It looks fantastic. Go Hawks! 

___________________________________________________________________________

March 31, 2024: Coming out of the latest citizens input hearing for 190 Trapelo Rd, I began my own research and analysis of how the city has handled this property over the last 20+ years. I created http://www.190Trapelo.com/ to aggregate info and timelines (initially for my own benefit as a city councilor) of the work that has been done thus far. It is a work in progress and there are still updates and additions to make. I plan to keep this updated week-to-week. 

March 28, 2024 - 190 Trapelo Road (Fernald) Update: Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the citizens input hearing for 190 Trapelo Road/Fernald. Great turnout. This property has the potential to serve the needs of all Waltham residents. There is a lot of faulty information being shared, so I plan to continue to communicate plans and progress regularly.



Thanks again to everyone who came out to share their feedback with the city council.


March 27, 2024, 6pm: A citizen input hearing has been scheduled at Government Center, 119 School Street. This is a special meeting of the city council to hear input from Waltham residents to hear feedback on what they'd like built at 190 Trapelo Road (former Fernald property). A universal playground is being built now, a cemetery has been approved for ~13 acres and five existing buildings are being put out to bid for senior and veterans housing, and an adult day care. Please attend if you can, anything built at this property will impact property values for homeowners in Waltham East.


March 6, 2024 - Solar Farm update. Below is an email sent to the mailing list maintained by Waltham Neighbors for Safe Solar

Dear Waltham Neighbors for Safe Solar (WNFSS), March 2024


We are making a difference, but we are not done!!  It has been a while since we have sent an update directly from WNFSS. We apologize for that but we didn’t want to fill up your email until we had significant news. In addition, we are aware you have received recent messages from the Stezzis and their Go Fund Me effort. So, below, in layman's terms, is a legal recap of some, not all, events and the current status. Given the sensitive nature of litigation, there is unfortunately a limit as to how much we can disclose. In this memo you will also read about ways you can support the efforts trying to stop this risky solar farm installation. We have been successful to this point (including recently surviving the Developer’s attempt to have our case dismissed!!) but we need your support to continue. 


We want to re-enforce we all understand the need for sustainable energy! 

But there are hazards to this particular plan which are potentially dangerous to our neighborhood, our property values, and even our health!


EVENTS: 

● May 2023 Lexington Planning Board (LPB) approved the Tracer Lane Solar Project with 53 conditions. 

● June 2023 Tracer Lane appeals in Land Court many of the conditions set on the project. The case is presided over by Justice Speicher and is assigned to “Fast Track” later defined as “A Track” and scheduling indicates it could be 34 months to get to post trial briefs. 

● June 2023 The city of Cambridge, the city of Waltham and the “Citizen’s Group” (represented by Hill Law) each filed an appeal with Superior Court and each of these three groups requested a trial by jury. 

● July 2023 Chief Justice Locke of Trial court consolidates all four cases and assigns, not to a jury, but Justice Speicher to preside over all cases. Justice Speicher is the same judge that originally ruled in Trace Lane’s favor to allow the road and access at 119 Sherbourne Place in Waltham. 

● August 2023 Many motions to dismiss entire cases or strike content filed and counter motions filed. 

● September 2023 Case management video conference held with Judge Speicher and all associated legal entities discussing process and timelines. 

● October 2023 More motions and counter motions to dismiss are filed. Additionally, in person meeting on October 26th with Judge Speicher and all legal entities reviewing motions etc. 

● October 2023 Hill Law files affidavits supporting two direct abutters position and impact plus two engineering affidavits. One affidavit by a Civil Professional Engineer that reviewed the proposed electrical poles and path of the wiring coming from the solar farm plus many tree and land issues. Another affidavit filed by a wetland scientist professional land surveyor. He found “regardless of how the Zone A regulation is interpreted there are stormwater discharges and rows of solar arrays proposed within the Zone A”. 

● December 2023 The developer and all legal entities met on site to discuss potential changes to the project such as access and egress, wire routing etc. We are not aware of any information or proposals regarding the discussion and outcome of that meeting. 

● January 2024 Joint motion filed to extend scheduling order for discovery and expert testimony by 60 days. Motion allowed and extension granted from February 29, 2024 to April 29, 2024. 

● February 2024 Justice Speicher responds to Tracer Lane’s motions to dismiss. The city of Waltham’s case is “DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”. That case is now closed. However, the city of Waltham has filed a notice of appeal. The case by the City of Cambridge will proceed. The Tracer Lane Case will proceed. Regarding the “Citizen’s Group” there were six counts listed for dismissal. Four of the six were dismissed and two were not. Basically, this still is terrific news, but means the scope of the case is reduced, but even that is being challenged now by Hill Law. We have filed a motion for reconsideration on two of the dismissed counts. Regardless, the case moves on! 


SUMMARY OF EVENTS: While it is not good news Waltham’s case was dismissed, it is good news that the city is appealing. It is good news the Cambridge case will continue. It is outstanding news the Citizen’s Group case has moved forward in spite of efforts by the developer to have it dismissed. This indicates we have “standing” and our case has merit. This is how your donations to our cause are making an impact! 


SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 


Our group supports solar! However, this is just a horrible choice of location for a solar farm. Read on for a few examples as to why we say that. 

As time and research progresses, more is being learned about the pros and cons of solar installations. Consider today’s discussions where it is being determined the “net impact” of tearing down forests to install solar panels is not a net benefit. Solar installations are a good thing in the right locations such as roof tops, canopies and beside highways. Just read related information on our website as well as certain recent Massachusetts State and Massachusetts Audubon Society publications. 

The impact on wildlife from this project could be enormous. Presently within the neighborhood, but a significant distance from the 300-foot abutter line, wildlife is captured on video almost nightly. Seen on video have been: herds of deer (both bucks & does) in groups as large as four; coyotes in packs of two or more; fox in groups of two or more; skunks, possums, rabbits, etc. If this is seen now, in a residential driveway, far away from the proposed development, what will be the impact and numbers of displaced animals after 1,000+ mature trees are cut down? 

There has been discussion about the potential risks associated with this solar installation. Some items mentioned are: fire, electrical magnetic field exposure (EMF), lack of fire suppression, difficult access, increased risk of putting out an electrical fire with water, the increased risk to firefighters fighting a fire on extremely steep hills, the potential release for toxic fumes, the potential for reservoir contamination, and the potential risk to neighboring homes, etc. These potential threats get dismissed, by others, as “speculation” and therefore not relevant. At some point “speculation” and “common sense” need to intersect before a solar farm with this many negative attributes is constructed. 


WE NEED YOUR HELP AND YOUR DONATION

Waltham Neighbors for Safe Solar includes a group of concerned citizens, some named as plaintiffs, who are suing to stop this controversial solar farm. The group has been successful, but needs more folks to get involved and needs financial help. Any donation you could make will be put to good use and appreciated. Please tell others and pass this information on, as well as access our links below to understand the potential risks to our neighborhood. 


To donate please write a check payable to Hill Law with “Lexington Solar'' in the memo line. Include your email and/or cellphone number and you will get confirmation to know your check got to us. 100% of funds collected goes directly to pay the legal bills, and we are making a difference! Mail your check to our check collection volunteer: 

WNFSS ℅ Nina Moss

104 Sherbourne Place

   Waltham, MA 02451


(Note, regrettably, your contribution is NOT tax-deductible. However, 100% of it goes directly to pay the legal bills to support the neighbors’ efforts to have our voices heard.)


If you wish to contact us, need information, or just want a general discussion of the project, please contact us at our email address WalthamNeighborsForSafeSolar@gmail.com 

___________________________________________________________________________

February 26, 2024 - Before the city council was a project to install sidewalks on Lincoln Street from Kings Way to Smith Street. This was referred to the finance committee. If approved, this is a big win for Ward 3. Walkers to MacArthur and neighbors in the Graymore Rd area have requested this for several years. Approved at this same city council meeting was a renewal of a second-hand dealer license for Gamestop, a busy Ward 3 business.

February 20, 2024 - The People's Fernald Group (not affiliated with the city) held a meeting to discuss plans for the 190 Trapelo Rd. Channel 781 posted the video of the meeting. It is broken into two parts: Part 1 and Part 2. Bryan Parcival presented his work on documenting the property for the City of Waltham, George Darcy presented and breakout sessions brainstormed ideas.

February 16, 2024 - Update on Lexington Solar Farm. Land Court upheld certain elements of the abutters lawsuit (Rachel Learned et al vs Lexington Planning Board et al). Please read the court document HERE.

February 13, 2024 - Support Northeast PTO by dining at City Streets. 20% of food sales go to the PTO.

February 7, 2024 - Update regarding Lexington Solar Farm that abuts Ward 3 (Sherbourne, Candlewood, Wimbledon, Midland)